External risk intelligence

AI Feeds WordPress Plugin Arbitrary File Upload Vulnerability

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8)

CVE-2025-13597

The vulnerability exists in a WordPress plugin. WordPress sites are web-based applications designed to be public-facing by nature. Because the vulnerability allows unauthenticated access to a file on a public web server, it is highly likely to be reachable from the internet in common deployments.

Unrestricted File Upload

Halo Surface Signal: 5 out of 5 — more likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

A security vulnerability has been identified in the AI Feeds plugin for WordPress. This issue could allow attackers to upload arbitrary files and potentially execute code on affected servers. While the specific impact depends on the plugin's presence and configuration, it represents a critical risk to WordPress-based websites.

Unauthenticated attackers can upload files and overwrite code.
Confirms exposure of WordPress sites using this plugin.
Assess relevance and confirm exposure on your WordPress sites.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by targeting the AI Feeds plugin on a WordPress site. Because the plugin lacks proper checks, an unauthenticated individual can upload arbitrary files from GitHub. This action could overwrite existing plugin files, potentially leading to the execution of malicious code on the server.

No authentication required.
Upload arbitrary files via GitHub.
Risk of remote code execution.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

This vulnerability could allow unauthenticated attackers to upload arbitrary files to a WordPress server, potentially overwriting existing plugin files. When supported by the advisory, this could lead to remote code execution on the affected site.

Server files and plugin integrity.
Unauthenticated arbitrary file upload.
Remote code execution on the server.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

Real-world ownership of this critical vulnerability likely falls to the website or application owner, potentially a marketing or content team, in coordination with the infrastructure or platform team responsible for the WordPress hosting environment. The first practical step is to identify all WordPress instances utilizing the AI Feeds plugin, confirm their internet reachability and business criticality, and then engage the accountable owner to plan remediation.

App owners and platform teams.
Verify plugin usage and server reachability.
Plan coordinated remediation or mitigation.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the AI Feeds plugin for WordPress?

AI Feeds is a WordPress plugin designed to help site administrators pull and integrate content from external sources. It acts as an extension for the WordPress platform, allowing users to automate the display of data feeds directly within their sites.

How does CVE-2025-13597 create a security risk?

This vulnerability is classified as Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type (CWE-434). It stems from a missing capability check in the plugin, allowing unauthorized users to interact with server files. Because the code fails to verify if a user has permission to perform actions, an attacker can overwrite existing plugin files with their own content.

Do I need to be logged in for an attacker to use this?

No. The flaw allows unauthenticated access, meaning an attacker does not need an account or administrative privileges to reach the vulnerable file. Conversely, the bug is only triggered by requests sent to the specific 'actualizador_git.php' file; it does not impact other areas of your WordPress installation that have proper access controls in place.

Is my site at risk if it uses AI Feeds?

According to Halo Surface Signal, this vulnerability is highly relevant because WordPress sites are designed to be public-facing. Since this plugin functionality is reachable from the internet, any site running an affected version of AI Feeds is exposed to potential unauthorized file manipulation by remote actors.

What is the first step to address this CVE?

Start by auditing your WordPress environment to identify if the AI Feeds plugin is installed and active. Once identified, evaluate the necessity of the plugin for your business operations. If it is not required, removing it immediately is the most effective way to eliminate the risk. If it is required, coordinate with your technical team to ensure the plugin is fully disabled until an update is applied.

References

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.